This blog blossomed in 2010 to chronicle my adventures in pole dance. I talked too much about weight loss and bad diet "science." Join me on my journey toward enlightenment. The size of my body doesn't dictate my worth. I believe showing gratitude helps lead to a true mind, body and spirit connection, and a more joyful life. Yoga and pole dance are still my favorite methods of movement. Choose to be the type of person who lifts others up rather than tearing them down.

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

I wanted to post about Minions earlier this week but I just have a lot going on. Stuff I have talked about in the past. Stuff I can't talk about publicly. I really do need a clone of myself, though. Anyway, I'm still feeling kinda blah but I thought a Minion post might help cheer me up. First off, I am somewhat quietly obsessed with Minions. You know Minions, they are the cute little worker bees from Despicable Me. I adore them. I want to have them. So, for my birthday, my friend Yolanda made me Minion cupcakes. I believe there were a dozen or so, and our group had dessert at the restaurant, so I was sent home with a box full of Minion cupcakes. I have no business eating a dozen Minion cupcakes. So my Minions went on adventures!I have been keeping a photo album of Minions on Facebook. Since not everyone is my Facebook friend, I wanted to share some of the funnier photos here.

Bert at the pool with me on my actual birthday

Creeper Dwayne at my birthday dinner (on my actual birthday)

Dan ate Stuart at the dinner a couple of nights before my birthday

Dave was birthday dinner dessert

Dean at Happy Hour

Dean at Twirly Girls

Dwayne at birthday night dinner with me

Jose/Josefiend at the drag show

Jose watching porn with Robert at the drag show

MINIONS!

Sam is in the front. Bill is behind him. Ted is facing backwards. He's always in trouble.

Simon is in the freezer.

Steve got ate by me

Todd at Pole Expo in Vegas

Todd at the Bad Kitty booth

Todd getting a spray tan (shellac) before Vegas

Todd at the Rhinestones and RazorBlades booth...they made him a necklace!!!

Todd loves dirty girls!

Todd on the stove

Todd the pool shark

Todd loves to watch

Todd got a new home in Vegas

Where the eff is Todd?!

Whoops. Sorry, Bert.

Whooops. Sorry, Dean.

Zeus begs to eat Sam

Zeus wants toe at Dave too

Years ago, I started taking photos of an awesomely creepy tree in Clayton and made a Facebook fan page. Claycord.com ran my story and I was attacked by a few people for having too much time on my hands. Ironic that by bothering to read the story and respond, they also must have too much time on their hands. Anyway, I am learning that sometimes you need to be able to smile at silly things. I'm sure Yolanda had no idea that making me these cupcakes would still be bringing me so much joy a month after my birthday (Sam, Bill, Ted and Simon are still in my house and ready for photos). So, thank you to Yolanda for making me these Minions and I hope everyone enjoyed their adventures as much as I did!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Today I had planned a fun post about my Minion adventures. But I woke up feeling very blah. Last night was a really rough night for me. I cried a lot, didn't sleep well and woke up with very swollen eyes. There was a lot of tragedy in our area yesterday and today doesn't feel like a fun posting day. Yesterday, in Discovery Bay, a 10-year-old boy was hit and killed while riding his bike. A two-year-old from Pittsburg was also hit by a car, although at last check, was still alive. Also someone committed suicide behind a grocery store in Antioch. So many families affected. Then all of the Facebook posts from people attacking others about blame and fault. What a waste of energy. And this was just yesterday -- I didn't even know these people. There has been other tragedy and sadness in my circle of friends recently. My paternal grandmother, Violet, has been in a physical rehab center/rest home since last week. It sounds like she is not doing well. When I saw her last week, she got winded trying to talk to me and she seemed very weak and tired. Apparently, over the weekend, she fell twice and went into the ER (because it sounds like this home isn't spending much time helping their residents). I know she doesn't want to be away from her home. And I feel like, especially if she is in her last days, she should have the right not to be in a terrible rest home where no one is paying attention to her. She is 82 years old.

My maternal grandmother, Jean, has been in a rest home for awhile now. She has Alzheimer's and struggles to remember us. This is her third rest home, as one was not helping her get to the restroom and the other had a nurse verbally abusing her. Since she was having a hard time telling anyone that this nurse was being mean to her, she just started scratching her legs until she bled. She just turned 88 years old this weekend. Everything just brings up my own mortality. I feel very young and like I still have my entire life ahead of me. However, while I watch both of my grandmothers age and struggle with health problems, I feel like I am looking into my own future. My Grandma Violet has neuropathy on her feet from having diabetes, which is very painful. She has un-treated kidney disease. She has atrial fibrillation and a pacemaker. My Grandma Jean, who used to have a brilliant mind and who loved to write, is slowly wasting away. I see what is happening with my grandmothers and I don't want it to happen to me. I read a book recently called Me Before You and it talks about end of life issues. I cannot imagine how it must feel to be trapped in a body that is falling apart around you.

At least my grandmothers have money to live somewhat comfortably. I can't imagine being in their position and relying only on the Medicare to take care of me. I am trying to grow my retirement but at the rate the cost of living is climbing, I don't know that I will be able to afford to take care of myself when the time comes. It all causes worry. Worry about people I love. About the future. Worry about health. Money. Life. Anyway, I don't want this to be a poor me post, but I do want to send love and positive vibes into the universe for those who are struggling. We all are in some way and sometimes everyone is too busy with their own problems to realize how a simple hug could make someone else's day.

Monday, September 23, 2013

In August, some of the Twirly Girls were extras in a new National Geographic show about motorcycles called Let It Ride. That episode aired last week and I was actually quite happy with the result!Having been part of the "reality show" process before, I understand that you don't have any control over what airs. Even if you are careful in your words, you never know what will actually air. In the last show I was on, the producers literally took words that weren't in a sentence and pieced them together to say something that was never said. It was a little irritating.On this show, we said silly things and those silly things made it on air. Bel talking about her snakeskin paint job. Me needing padding for my butt. Kate desiring streamers on her bike. (Unfortunately, my request for pole trailer went unfulfilled.) If you'd like to watch some of the episode, click HERE and watch the video titled "girly makeover." Congrats to Bel for getting a lot of air time climbing the poles of Pleasanton. Some of our best lines were played over the credits. Unfortunately, those don't appear to be online. Perhaps Hulu or other websites have the episode in its entirety. I have been watching Let It Ride this season, waiting for our episode. Even though I don't ride motorcycles, I actually have enjoyed the show and love that it is about a local company. Through Twitter, I have invited Zach Ness and the boys to come to Twirly Girls and take a spin on the pole. Hopefully we can get them over there to take a class with us. If they come, you know I will update you! In the meantime, enjoy some still shots from the show:

Friday, September 20, 2013

There were so many great things about Pole Expo, I almost couldn't contain them in one blog.

Being able to see the Yosemite fire from the plane (sad but still very interesting).

Having almost my entire Boys, Girls and Twirls class in Vegas with me. Patrick and Sean Michael competing in the Pole Classic.Meeting Timber Brown.

Fun workshops even though my foot was still injured. Twirly Girls winning the Bring the Pole Gang contest.Vegas in general. Duh.

Really, I couldn't even list every cool thing that happened on this trip.

So I thought it would make a photo journal of some of my fun stuff instead!I literally took a thousand photos so it was hard to just choose a few but I don't want to bore you with an hour long slide show. So, in no particular order (mostly because I'm lazy and that would require organizing them on my computer), here are some of the highlights of my trip to Vegas for Pole Expo!

Meeting fellow blogger, Nina

Amy's new shoes

Robert, Missy and Amy at the pool

Look, I can do Timber Brown's stand on the pole trick!

Robert and me on the plane home...after many delays

TIMBER BROWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Karen, Kate and Rita in Bel's ridiculously awesome tub

Me, Robert and Yolanda at the Pole Classic

Minion Todd...the minions might require their own blog post

Roz the Diva showing us how it is done!!

Zoraya admiring Robert's pole kiss (obtained in her workshop)

Me sporting my sexy boot

Patrick, Missy and me

Platinum Stages' after-party

Yolanda on the plane home

Accro and Timber having a hot boy pole-off

The Twirly Girl gang

Sean Michael in all his amazingness

My favorite photo from the trip...Missy in the background, Sean Michael, Kate and me on the bed

Amy, Robert, Miss, me, Karen and Yolanda out in Vegas

Karen, me and Missy at the Pole Classic

The view from the plane...the water is so clear, the boats look like they're floating on air

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